Nelson Gidding

Nelson Roosevelt Gidding (September 15, 1919 – May 1, 2004) was an American screenwriter specializing in adaptations. A longtime collaboration with director Robert Wise began with Gidding's screenplay for I Want to Live! (1958), which earned him an Oscar nomination. His long-running course on screenwriting adaptions at the University of Southern California inspired screenwriters of the present generation, including David S. Goyer.

Nelson Gidding
Born
Nelson Roosevelt Gidding

(1919-09-15)September 15, 1919
New York
DiedMay 2, 2004(2004-05-02) (aged 84)
Santa Monica, California
OccupationScreenwriter

Gidding was born in New York and attended school at Phillips Exeter Academy; as a young man he was friends with Norman Mailer. After graduating from Harvard University, he entered the Army Air Forces in World War II as the navigator on a B-26. His plane was shot down over Italy, but he survived; he spent 18 months as a POW but effected an escape. Returning from the war, in 1946 he published his only novel, End Over End, begun while captive in a German prison camp.

In 1949, Gidding married Hildegarde Colligan; together they had a son, Joshua Gidding, who today is a Seattle writer and college professor.

In Hollywood, Gidding entered work in television, writing for such series as Suspense and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, and eventually moved into feature films like The Helen Morgan Story (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Haunting (1963), Lost Command (1966), The Andromeda Strain (1971), and The Hindenburg (1975).

After the death of his first wife on June 13, 1995, in 1998 Gidding married Chun-Ling Wang, a Chinese immigrant.

Gidding taught at USC until his death from congestive heart failure at a Santa Monica hospital in 2004.

Filmography

Films

YearFilmCreditNotes
1953 The Triangle Written By Story segment "American Duel"
1954 President for a Day Written By TV movie produced as an episode of Hallmark Hall of Fame
1957 The Helen Morgan Story Screenplay By Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Stephen Longstreet", "Dean Riesner", and "Oscar Saul"
1958 Onionhead Screenplay By Based on the novel by "Weldon Hill"
I Want to Live! Screenplay By Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Don Mankiewicz"
1959 Odds Against Tomorrow Screenplay By Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Abraham Polonsky", Based on the Novel by "William P. McGivern"
1962 Lisa Screenplay By Based on the Novel "The Inspector" By "Jan de Hartog"
1963 The Haunting Screenplay By Based on the Novel By "Shirley Jackson"
Nine Hours to Rama Screenplay By Based on the Novel By "Stanley Wolpert"
1966 Lost Command Screenplay By Based on the Novel "The Centurions" By "Jean Lartéguy"
1970 Skullduggery Screenplay By Based on the Novel "Les Animaux dénaturés" By "Vercors"
1971 The Andromeda Strain Screenplay By Based on the Novel By "Michael Crichton"
1975 The Hindenburg Screenplay By Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Richard Levinson" and "William Link", Based on the Novel By "Michael M. Mooney"
1979 Beyond the Poseidon Adventure Screenplay By
1983 I Want to Live Screenplay By Television Movie
1987 The Misfit Brigade Screenplay By Based on the Novel "Wheels of Terror" By "Sven Hassel"
1991 Journey of Honor Screenplay By, Story By Co-Wrote Story with "Sho Kosugi"
1993 The Mummy lives Screenplay By

Television

YearTV SeriesCreditNotes
1952 Hallmark Hall of Fame Writer 1 Episode
Hollywood Opening Night Writer 1 Episode
1953 Rheingold Theater Writer 1 Episode
The Web Writer 1 Episode
1954 The Stranger Writer 2 Episodes
Inner Sanctum Writer 3 Episodes
1954-55 The Man Behind the Badge Writer 12 Episodes
1955 Kraft Television Theatre Writer 1 Episode
Warner Bros. Presents Writer 1 Episode
1955-56 Casablanca Writer 5 Episodes
1955-57 Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Writer, Story Editor 52 Episodes
1956 Playwrights '56 Writer 1 Episode
1957 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Writer 2 Episodes
1960 Bourbon Street Beat Writer 1 Episode
1972 Banyon Writer 1 Episode
1983 Casablanca Writer 1 Episode

Bibliography

  • End Over End. Viking. 1946. OCLC 1804517.

References

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